The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County is now accepting nominations for the 2014 Annie Awards. The Annie Awards were created in 2000 to recognize the contributions of local artists, educators and arts patrons who reside in Anne Arundel County.

There are six awards in six categories: Literary Arts, Visual Arts, Arts Patron, Performing Arts, Arts Educator and Lifetime Achievement. Nomination forms are available online at the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County website: www.acaac.org.

Many past Annie Award recipients have been artists, poets, and performers of national stature who have enriched the community by their presence. Other Annie Award recipients have quietly supported art projects and mentored students, never anticipating recognition. Past Annie recipients have included: jazz musician, the late Charlie Byrd, novelist Lucia St. Clair Robson, artist John Ebersberger, Maestro Jose Luis Novo, and arts patrons James and Sylvia Earl. Art educators that have been honored include: Suzanne Owens, Michael Svec, and Diane Bragdon. The purpose of the Annie awards is to highlight the accomplishment of artists, educators, and art supporters to inspire and to promote the arts and historic preservation in Anne Arundel County.

The deadline for submitting nominations is June 11, 2014. There is no limit on the number of people you may nominate. Multiple letters of support are encouraged. The awards will be given at a presentation ceremony held in the Francis Scott Key Auditorium at St. John’s College in Annapolis on Wednesday October 15, 2014.

The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County provides grants and support to over forty nonprofit organizations. Providing a resource for the cultural arts community through advocacy, funding, programming, and promotions; the Arts Council supports a variety of groups that include Maryland Hall; Anne Arundel County Trust for Preservation; Children’s Theater of Annapolis; and the Captain Avery Museum. The Arts Council administers the Arts-in-Education Program serving both public and private Anne Arundel County Schools, which provides grant funding to bring performances and artists into auditoriums and classrooms.

For more information about the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County and to find out more about the Annie Awards and membership, call 410-222-7949 or visit: www.acaac.org.